After years of trying to beat each other by selling more expensive, fancier, gel-filled, battery-powered, car-washing, lost-key-finding razors, Schick and Gillette are now duking it out in the more affordable realm of subscription blade plans. Not only is Schick now selling its own blades by mail; it’s selling blades that fit on Gillette’s handles but cost less. [More]
razors
Unilever Buys Dollar Shave Club For $1 Billion In Cash
By 7.20.16
In an effort to gain a foothold in the $3 billion razor market, Unilever has purchased monthly razor subscription service Dollar Shave Club for one billion razors. Excuse me, I meant to say, in a deal worth $1 billion. [More]
Dollar Shave Club Files Countersuit Against Gillette In Patent Fight
By 2.17.16
Two months after Gillette sued Dollar Shave Club, claiming the competitor had violated its intellectual property, the subscription razor service has filed a countersuit, saying it hasn’t infringed on any of its rival’s patents.
[More]
Gillette Suing Dollar Shave Club Claiming Razor Subscription Service Infringes On Its Patents
By 12.17.15
With all those lumbersexuals and their bushy beards taking a big cut out of the razor business, it’s no surprise that competition is fierce. In an effort to protect its slice of the market, Gillette is suing online subscription razor service Dollar Shave Club for violation of intellectual property. [More]
Gillette Wants To Sell You A Fancy New Razor That Works With Older Blades
By 4.23.14
The Gillette business model is now a legend selling an item inexpensively or giving it away for free, then selling customers a more profitable item that they need to keep that item going. Think of razors and disposable blades, inkjet printers and cartridges, or free mobile phones tied to long service contracts. Now Gillette is changing its time-honored business model a little, and selling the FlexBall razor, which accepts a variety of blade cartridges. [More]
Men: The Pride You Take In Your Hairy Face Is Worrying The Shaving Industry
By 12.9.13
All that time you spend grooming, brushing, oiling, massaging and generally worshiping your hairy face is great and all, but the people who make razors and other shaving products aren’t so pleased with the increasingly popular hirsute look. From stubble to fully-flowing follicular masterpieces, facial hair isn’t just for lumberjacks and hipsters anymore. [More]
Razor Blade Companies Could Make A Longer-Lasting Product, But Why Would They?
By 2.1.13
Every day, there’s another development in shaving technology, but it usually involves adding more blades or making yet another part of the razor vibrate. No matter how high-tech the devices get, the blades just don’t last very long. In the words of every hack comedian from 1990: What’s up with that? [More]
Behold, The $100,000 Iridium Razor
By 6.22.11
What do you get for the man who has everything? How about the Zaffiro, a $100,000 razor made out of iridium? [More]
Switch To Old-School Safety Razors And Save $160 A Year
By 4.25.11
Like a drug dealer giving out free samples, Gillette has been getting men hooked on Fusion razors by handing out free Fusion razors. You go along and you think, mm, this is a pretty good shave, and eventually you need to buy replacement cartridges, and it turns out they cost $40! Reader Jim got sick of spending $250 a year on cartridges for a shave that wasn’t stellar so he decided to kick it like a grandpa and switch to old-school double-edged safety razors. Jim says the blades on these just cost pennies a piece and the shave is cleaner and closer. Here’s how he made the switch: [More]
Woman Bites Into Razor In Walmart Brand Ice Cream
By 2.9.11
A woman has cut her lip on a razor that was at the bottom of her cup of Walmart brand Peanut Butter Stars. When she called to complain, the customer service rep told her, “I’m sorry, I hope your day gets better.” [More]
Gillette Introduces $.34 Razor… In India
By 10.1.10
While here in the States — and in many parts of the world — Gillette is known for pricier devices like its Fusion ProGlide razors that will cost you upwards of $10-11 just for the handle and one blade (and replacement blades costing $2-3 each), the company is attempting to go the opposite route in India, where it is now selling a razor that costs the equivalent of $.34, with replacement blades going for only $.11 each. [More]
Make Your Disposable Razor Blade Last For 20 Months
By 3.26.10
Disposable razor blades can cost $4 a pop and last only a few weeks, but Terry has been going for 20 months on the same cartridge. And yes, he still has a face. How does he do it? [More]
Gilette Raises Razor Blade Prices, Then Deploys Shrink Ray
By 2.21.10
Greg is unhappy with Gilette, the maker of his favored razor. He writes that first, they raised the prices (at Walmart, at least.) Then the number of razors in each package decreased, from four to three and from eight to six. Will the indignities never end? [More]
Buy Some Batteries, Get a Razor (Or Is It The Other Way Around?)
By 10.12.09
Salman spotted this bizarre battery giveaway when he was shopping at his Chicago CVS:
Persona Razors, Now! With The Same Amount Of Razors!
By 1.14.09
Companies are scrambling to make their products seem more affordable in this economic climate, and, in some cases, are resorting to simply making it up. Reader Ben sent in this picture of Personna razor blades. The old pack is on the left, containing 12 razors. The new one is on the right, also containing 12 razors, but it boasts a scratched out 10 and a big 12 and now it’s a “Value Pack.” You get the same number of razors, pay the same, but now you get the added bonus of feeling like you’re a savvy shopper.
Chinese Brothers Develop New "Mock 3" Razors
By 9.19.07
Chinese officials charged the Zhang brothers with assembling 160,000 fake Gillette Mach 3 razor blades in their home with the help of other family members (and, we imagine, lots of boxes of Band-Aids). The home was raided over a year ago, but apparently the charges have just been officially announced. Unless, of course, this very announcement is a forgery—or tainted with lead!
Babies And Razor Blades Don't Mix
By 3.21.07
e was getting tired and she wanted to take the baby upstairs and put her in our bed so they could both get some sleep. I folded it up, brought it upstairs, and unfolded it on the bed. That’s when I saw it: the silhouette of a razor blade beneath the mattress cover for the Sleeper.
The rest of Ted’s email and more pictures inside…
UPDATE! How Did Gillette Know It Was My Birthday??!
By 10.17.06
After a series of inquiring emails, Gillette finally spilled the blood on where they REALLY get their 18-year-old boy list from.
